Friday, July 18, 2008
PART I
FAMILY BACKGROUND AND BIRTH
Ameer-ul-Mumineen
Mulla Muhammad Umar Mujahid belongs to a respected family of religious
scholars. His family is renown for the religious services offered by it for
centuries. His full name is Muhammad Umar Mujahid bin Maulwi Ghulam Nabi
Akhwand bin Mulla Muhammad Rasool Akhwand bin Mulla Muhammad Ayaz Akhwand. He
belongs to a well-known branch of the Hootak tribe, which has been living in
Kandahar for about a hundred years. Mulla Muhammad Omar was born in 1960 in the
'Noori' village in Kandahar Province. Kandahar used to be the capital of the
Indo-Subcontinent when it was justly ruled by the great Afghan Mujahid conqueror,
Ahmad Shah Abdali. Mulla Umar's father, Maulwai Ghulam Nabi, was a religious
scholar and the Imam at a mosque in Noori. His predecessors lived in the
province of Zabul, in the districts of Shakay and Beirut, where, even today, a
water stream is remembered by the name of one of Mulla Umar's respected elders.
Mulla Umar's family has produced religious scholars in every generation, who
have rendered countless services to Islam for centuries. His family is well
known to have a great fervour for Islam. Almost all of his predecessors have
been religious scholars, rendering religious services in the southern provinces
of Kandahar, Zabul and Uruzgan. The people of Afghanistan have consulted his
elders for centuries, seeking guidance on religious, economical and social
issues.
ORPHAN AT THE AGE OF THREE
Mulla Omar was just three when his father, Maulwi Ghulam Nabee Akhwand, passed
away at the age of forty. He was the only child of his parents. His younger
brother and three elder sisters had passed away at a young age. Therefore,
after his father's demise, he was not only an orphan but also the only child of
his mother. Who could have thought at that time that this poor boy would go on
to become the Ameer-ul-Mumineen of Afghanistan and a symbol of bravery, valour,
patience, humbleness and Jihad in the Way of Allah (SWT)? After his father's
death, his eldest paternal uncle, Maulwi Muhammad Anwar, married his mother and
remains the head of the family. Allah (SWT) gave the family three sons and four
daughters, who are still alive and waging Jihad in the Way of Allah (SWT). One
of his brothers was martyred in 1998 when a massive bomb went off outside his
office in Kandahar.
It was an assassination attempt on his life planned by both the CIA and the
Northern Alliance Commander, Ahmad Shah Masood, who by the will of Allah (SWT),
was assassinated on 9 September 2001. Other paternal uncles of Mulla Umar are
Haji Mulla Muhammad Hanafiyyah Akhwand, Haji Mulla Muhammad Jumma Akhwand and
Haji Mulla Muhammad Wali Akhwand. All of his uncles are known to have great
fear of Allah (SWT) but Mulla Wali Muhammad Akhwand stands out for his
excessive prayers and remembrance of Allah (SWT). All his family members live
under the same roof with love and unity. The young men in the family are all
participating in Jihad and are sacrificing their life and wealth to rid the
world of Disbelief and Evil.
ISLAMIC EDUCATION
Mulla Umar received primary education from his benign guardian, loving
stepfather and generous uncle, Maulwi Muhammad Anwar, who was a religious
scholar and Imam at a mosque in the Beirut district of the Uruzgan province
where he taught a mass of religious students. Other than his under his uncle,
he studied the Quran, Hadith and Fiqh from many accomplished scholars whose
names are not available. For a period he also remained a student of his other
uncle, Mulla Muhammad Jumma Akhwand.
FAMILY HOUSE, LAND AND ESTATE
Mulla Muhammad Umar's family, a family of tribal scholars, never went after the
attractions of this world. Instead they chose to devout their lives for the
propagation of Islam and the imparting of religious knowledge. Their lives are
a living symbol of patience and gratefulness towards Allah (SWT). Upholding the
name of Islam and following its laws staunchly were goals superior to all
worldly gains. Wealth and material possessions were never able to weaken their
resolve. It was due to this disregard for the luxuries and life of this world
that neither Mulla Umar nor any of his uncles own any houses, land or estates.
MARCHING TOWARDS THE BATTLEFIELDS AT EIGHTEEN
It was 1978CE (1398 AH) and Mulla Umar was studying the highest-level book of
the Hanafi school, the 'Hidayah', when Afghanistan was stormed by Communist
aggressors, followed by the Soviet Red Army in December 1979. Thousands of
young Muslims with the fear of Allah (SWT) and honour, decided to quell the Red
insurgence. Among these soldiers of Allah (SWT) was an energetic young man of
no more than eighteen years of age: Mulla Muhammad Omar. Filled with religious fervor
and love for Islam, he took up weapons and headed for the battlefield. At the
height of his youth, he stepped forward against the disbelievers and terrorised
their ranks. He had resolved to revive the forgotten duty of Jihad that Allah
(SWT) and his Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) adored so much and whose real meaning was
bygone for the Muslim Ummah. He actively participated in the Jihad from the
very beginning and it was then that the foundations of the Taliban Islamic
Movement and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan were laid, which were to serve
as the source of light, hope and life for the dejected Muslim Ummah drowned in
the darkness of apathy. It was, in effect, the beginning of the Islamic
renaissance.
INJURIES SUSTAINED IN URUZGAN DURING JIHAD
At the onset of the Jihad against the Communists and the Russians, he was
fighting the enemies of Allah (SWT) in the Beirut district of Uruzgan Province.
It was whilst he was wrecking the ranks of the disbelieving invaders that he
sustained serious injuries on two occasions. The first time was when his leg
was badly inured by rocket shrapnel and the second time was when he came under
intense machinegun fire, which left his body riddled with bullets. He received
medical treatment for the extreme wounds inflicted on his body, which, though
they wounded his body, never scratched his incessant will to wage Jihad against
the forces of Satan. Soon, by the grace of Allah (SWT), he regained his health
and was back in the battlefield to devastate the enemies of Allah (SWT).
His valour and gallantry filled the enemies with terror and his ceaseless
attacks on the Communists raised alarm. His experienced and perceptive uncle
anticipated the designs and conspiracies of the Communists and advised him to
move the centre of his guerrilla operations to the South-Western district of
Panjwai. Another reason for selecting this area was that the Kandahar-Herat
highway passed through this district, which was a crucial supply line for the
Communists. This busy road was an excellent target for guerrilla activities, so
Mulla Umar moved his unit of Mujahideen to Panjwai. His excellence as a leader,
competence as a tactician and unmatched fearlessness made him emerge as an
exemplary guerrilla commander. His fellow Mujahideen admired him for his humble
ways, good manners and virtuosity, whereas the oppressed Afghans adored him for
being an honest and generous man. On the other hand, his presence was a
nightmare for the Communists and the Russians. He paid occasional visits to his
parents in Uruzgan during this period of Jihad.
GETTING INJURED FOR THE THIRD TIME
It was during the period when he was fighting the Russians in the area of
Sangsar, that he was badly injured for the third time, in an intense encounter
with the Soviets. This time he sacrificed his right eye in the Way of Allah
(SWT). His companions said that he was taken to a hospital in Quetta, Pakistan,
due to the severity of his injury. After surgery, he was advised by the doctors
to make Tayammum (ablution without water) instead of making Wudu
(ablution with water) since water could have aggravated his wounds. Against the
doctors' advice, he always used water for ablution and never prayed without
proper Wudu. He used to say: "It is not possible for me to
stop making Wudu for such minor wounds."
ON THE SIXTEENTH RPG, IT WENT UP IN FLAMES
Mulla Umar's companions during the Jihad against the Soviets and Communists
included the Talibans' first and foremost Commander-in-Chief, Shaheed Mulla
Muhammad (RA), Shaheed Mulla Naik Muhammad (RA), Shaheed Mulla Borjan (RA) and
famous commanders, Mulla Bradar, Mulla Yaranah, Mulla Ubaidullah and Mulla
Akhwandzadah. At that time he was associated with Maulwi Nabi Muhammad's group,
Harakat-ul-Inqelab-al-Islami. He was the group's local commander and a sure
shot with the RPG-7 (antitank weapon). Refreshing his memoirs of those days,
one of his old time friends described an encounter with Russian armour. It was
in the district of Panjwai where the Mujahideen under Mulla Umar's command were
fighting the Russians. One of the Russian tanks was expertly hidden in the
terrain and had inflicted substantial damage on the Mujahideen. This tank had
martyred many of the Mujahideen therefore imposing on them considerable
pressure. The tank was placed in its position with such skill thereby making it
lethal for the Mujahideen to target. In order to tackle this hurdle and to
ensure the safety of his fellow Mujahideen, Mulla Umar took the challenge.
Armed with a RPG launcher and a supply of rockets, he moved to a position from
where he could attack the menacing armour. He fired a sequence of rockets on
the tank and at last, on the sixteenth RPG, by the will of Allah (SWT) it went
up in flames.
INTERACTION WITH THE WORLD DURING JIHAD
During the Jihad neither Mulla Umar nor any of his family members migrated to
Pakistan, Iran or any other country. They stood firm and chose to defend their
faith and honour at the cost of their lives and wealth. On the rugged mountains
they made their stand and from here they swooped on the Red Soviet Bear. During
14 years of Jihad against the Russians and after their defeat, Mulla Umar
rarely travelled outside Afghanistan except for receiving medical treatment in
the border town of Quetta. It was common practice among Afghan commanders to visit
Pakistan every year and enjoy the luxuries of city life while they consulted
their supporting governments and received aid. Mulla Umar, on the contrary,
never made any such trips, which probably saved him from foreign influence and
prejudice. Being a low-level commander, the needs of his unit were fulfilled
locally and never demanded his absence from the battlefield. This turned out to
be truly beneficial for the future of Islam and Jihad. Fortunately for the
Muslim Ummah, all throughout his life he was exposed to only two elements: pure
Islamic education and practical Jihad in the way of Allah (SWT). These
exemplary fourteen years of his life are filled with purpose, chivalry,
courage, vigour and perseverance in the way of Allah (SWT). Allah (SWT) willed
for him a country life filled with Islamic knowledge and Jihad battlefields.
The Almighty never exposed him to the outside world filled with greed,
egocentricity and corruption. He was gifted with a true understanding of Islam
and Shariah (Islamic laws), which, upon implementation, transformed war torn
Afghanistan into a depiction of the Islamic society during the time of the
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his Companions (RAAH).
MARRIAGE AND RETURN TO EDUCATION
After the defeat and subsequent evacuation of the Soviet forces from
Afghanistan, Mulla Umar went back to his religious studies. In a quiet and
simple fashion, he got married at the age of 31. Allah (SWT) blessed him with
two sons, Yaqub and Idris. There have been reports of Yaqub's martyrdom in the
recent barbaric bombing by the Americans on Kandahar. While the Mujahideen
commanders initiated a power struggle for Kabul, he started to teach at the
local mosque.
POST-COMMUNIST ERA
With the passage of time, the post Communist era in Afghanistan saw even more
destruction and oppression perpetrated by the so-called Mujahideen leaders. As
the situation of law and order deteriorated, and the honour and property of the
common man became even more insecure, the Afghans became dismayed with the
power hungry commanders. Most of these commanders were Communists who had
infiltrated the ranks of the Mujahideen to take advantage of their success. It
was the survival of the fittest and the weak had no one to turn to for justice.
The honour and chastity of women was neither safe inside their homes nor
outside. Sick women were abducted from hospitals, never to be seen again.
Parents smuggled their young sons to Pakistan just to save them from the
paedophile commanders. The Governor of Kandahar, Gul Agha, married a boy in a
well-set and publicised wedding. After every few kilometres was a commander's
check post set up to dispossess the people of their livelihood and honour.
Robbery and looting was commonplace. Human life became so cheap that people
were killed on minor issues. Homes and businesses were ransacked and burned
down. Allah (SWT) earth's was ravaged and plundered; there was no peace and all
hopes of tranquillity were at an end. Then it seemed the blood of the Martyrs
and the fruits of Jihad were going to be lost.
The following account was received from a reliable source and it unveils the
Satanic face of the post Russian era commanders in Afghanistan:
A man was travelling in the province of Kandahar when he was stopped at a
looting point set up by a Communist commander. When the poor man was harassed
for money, he asked the commander's men why they were looting him and if Allah
(SWT) and His Prophet, Muhammad (SAWS), had permitted them to do so. They said
they would ask Allah (SWT) and Muhammad (SAW). He was taken inside the check
post and one of the harassers addressed a satanic clean-shaven man as Allah
(SWT) and asked if he had given him permission to loot the poor man. The man
replied yes. Then another ugly clean-shaven man was addressed as the Prophet Muhammad
(SAW), who also granted their claim. Then the commander's men told the
unfortunate man to hand over his money as he had witnessed Allah (SWT) and the
Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) affirm their demand.
STARTING THE TALIBAN ISLAMIC MOVEMENT
Mulla Muhammad Umar's heart bled as he saw the misery of the Afghans. It was
unbearable for him to sit in his mosque and teach while the land of Jihad was
transformed into a living hell for his people. Islam was kicked aside by the
commanders and the sanctity of Muslims were torn. Afghanistan was burning and
the West warmed hands over it.
It was in 1993-94; at the age of 33, that Mulla Muhammad Umar Mujahid, with a
group of around 15-30 religious students started the Tehreek-al-Islami-at-
Taliban (the Taliban Islamic Movement). They attacked the local commanders'
check posts in Kandahar and after securing them, took the border town of Spin
Boldak in an amazing operation. After securing the area in and around Kandahar,
they implemented the Shariah Laws and chased the Communists out of the
province. More students joined them and the people welcomed the Taliban
everywhere they went. Soon the oppressed people of other provinces invited them
and the Taliban answered to their requests. One after the other, the Taliban
took over the provinces of Afghanistan and by implementing Shariah,
restored peace and order.
In 1996, the Taliban took over Kabul and Mulla Muhammad Umar was unanimously
accepted as the 'Ameer-ul-Mumineen' (the Leader of the Believers) of
Afghanistan. Thus the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan came into existence.
CONCLUDING GLIMPSE OF HIS CHARACTER
Once a delegation of guest came to visit Mulla Umar. Fresh bread, cream, tea
and other delicacies were brought for the guests and they all began to eat
heartily. All except Mulla Umar that is. He refused to touch the cream or the
bread. His guests ushered him to eat with them but he refused. His advisors
also urged him to eat with the guests, indicating that there was nothing wrong
with him eating this food since it had not been brought especially for him; it
was brought for the guests and he was the host. He still refused. A few moments
later, a worker brought in a bowl of plain soup together with some hard, stale
bread. Mulla Umar proceeded to break the hard bread with his hands and eat it
with the soup. Upon being asked the reasons for his refusal to eat the cream,
Mulla Umar said: "When the lowest person in my country eats this food,
then I will eat it."
IN THE NEXT PART, INSHALLAH...
We will present Mulla Muhammad Umar Mujahid's achievements as Ameer-ul-
Mumineen during the seven years of the Islamic Emirate. In addition, we will
give more glimpses of his personality and virtues.
SourŠe: Radio Islam
http://prisonerofjoy.blogspot.com/2008/07/personality-mulla-muhammad-umar-mujahid.html
